Titan IIIC

News:

On June 18^th, 1965, Titan IIIC was launched for the 1^st time.

What:

• It is an ELV or expendable launch vehicle.
• Name meaning: refers to the children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth), as per Greek mythology.
• Features:
  • 1^st and 2^nd stages- modified liquid-fuelled
  • 2 lateral strap-on solid rockets
  • In Titan IIIA- an additional stage called the transtage with twin Aerojet engines and fuelled by Aerozine 50 and nitrogen tetroxide liquid fuel
  • In Titan IIIC (an upgrade of Titan IIIA):
    • 2 huge strap-on solid rocket boosters- >25m tall and 3m wide
    • Fuelled by aluminum/ammonium perchlorate solid fuel

Why:

• Developed to launch payloads heavier than those carried by Atlas-Centaur.

How:

• Used for placing communications and reconnaissance satellites in orbit for the military.
• Used for placing Applications Technology Satellite and other payloads in orbit successfully.

Who:

• Mainly used by the NASA and the US Air Force.

When:

• Titan IIIC launched for the 1^st time in June 18, 1965, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• Used for the last time on March 6, 1982.

Facts:

• The Titan family launch vehicles started off as a large ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) to surpass the Atlas in terms of delivery capacity and sophistication.
• In October 1955, the development contract for this ICBM was issued. copyright©iasexpress.net
• On February 6, 1959, the Titan was test launched for the 1^st time. However, back then, it wasn’t modified for spaceflight.
• Titan II, a more powerful version, was developed with capacity for spaceflight. It was successfully tested in March 1962 and declared operational in 1963.
• It was modified as the Gemini-Titan II for launch of the crewed Gemini Project. Following this, it was used to place satellites in orbit.
• Titan 34D was introduced in 1982, based on Titan IIIC.